What are the 'skinjobs' really?

[Mongoletsi]

While the Cylons did not undergo "Evolution", the word works. They probably just needed a way to tell that the Cylons "got better" or something, without using some overly complicated sentance/word, or not properally explaining it. 90%+ of the population probably doesn't care if the word was used slighty out of context.

At last! The voice of reason!

[Platschu]

What if D'Anna is the leader, who will the humans lead to Earth, but she has to sacrifice herself? That would be a great twist, so Roslin could be cured.

[Trek_Girl42]

What if D'Anna is the leader, who will the humans lead to Earth, but she has to sacrifice herself? That would be a great twist, so Roslin could be cured.

How I'd love that.....but this is BSG, even if she isn't the dying leader, Roslin is as good as dead by the end of the series.

[SoulReaver]

How I'd love that.....but this is BSG, even if she isn't the dying leader, Roslin is as good as dead by the end of the series.

hey she's been worse (she was flirting with death in Epiphanies) so anything could happen -

- use Hera's blood, could have same effect as her fetal stem cells (of course this means if Roslin wants to stay alive Hera might have to spend the rest of her life as a lab rat to keep saving the very person who tried to get her aborted, so I don't know if Helo & Athena would readily acquiesce ^_^)

- return to the Ionian nebula & find another of those "space-time" thingies that Starbuck went through - this time it would reverse Rioslin's cancer just like it gave Starbuck's viper a facelift

- the fleet crosses paths with a bunch of little green guys with big heads & super-advanced tech

Spoiler:

jk

[Mongoletsi]

- the fleet crosses paths with a bunch of little green guys with big heads & super-advanced tech

Spoiler:

jk

Spoiler:

Funny

[Kapitalist]

Here's my original theory 'updated' and modified:

Humanoid Cylons are bioengineered and vat-grown with all the human anatomical systems. However, their neurons possess many internal components and chemical compounds that do not exist anywhere in nature. In structure and composition, these wholly new metabolic pathways are virtually identical to the silica relays that Cylon Centurions possess - just miniaturized to a microscopic scale. The development these silica pathways is genetically encoded by synthetic DNA sequences that under Colonial DNA test would appear to be nothing more than normal human junk DNA. What the silica pathways do is cause the neurons to generate electrical signals that are digital in nature. This has the effect of making the consciousness that emerges from a Cylon brain based entirely upon electronic digital information transfer rather than electrochemical interactions like a human consciousness. That means that Cylon consciousness is essentially a highly advanced artificial intelligence software program contained in what is essentially an organic computer system. Fundamentally, a Humanoid Cylon is just as much a sentient machine as the original human-built Cylons. However, it is a sentient machine using biological hardware as a vessel.

[Vis Uban]

Here's my original theory 'updated' and modified:

Humanoid Cylons are bioengineered and vat-grown with all the human anatomical systems. However, their neurons possess many internal components and chemical compounds that do not exist anywhere in nature. In structure and composition, these wholly new metabolic pathways are virtually identical to the silica relays that Cylon Centurions possess - just miniaturized to a microscopic scale. The development these silica pathways is genetically encoded by synthetic DNA sequences that under Colonial DNA test would appear to be nothing more than normal human junk DNA. What the silica pathways do is cause the neurons to generate electrical signals that are digital in nature. This has the effect of making the consciousness that emerges from a Cylon brain based entirely upon electronic digital information transfer rather than electrochemical interactions like a human consciousness. That means that Cylon consciousness is essentially a highly advanced artificial intelligence software program contained in what is essentially an organic computer system. Fundamentally, a Humanoid Cylon is just as much a sentient machine as the original human-built Cylons. However, it is a sentient machine using biological hardware as a vessel.

Very interesting idea and well put. If this has already been stated I apologize, but I think that it can also be assumed that the Cylons are more synthetic in nature than simply their nervous systems. Specifically, I speak of Cavil noting that he hasn't slept in twenty years, a feat that no biological human body would be capable of. Also, they have also shown an extreme resistance to radiation in the past, resistance well beyond human capabilities. These seem to indicate a more synthetic nature to the Cylons' physiology, while still being a very close mimicry, or indeed partial recreation of human biology. Interesting idea.

[Mongoletsi]

I still think we'll discover that the Terran Skinjobs are actually human.

I think...

On Kobol they were human like the others
They developed ressurection tech
This caused a big schism
Everybody went their seperate ways
On Earth they "evolved" the means to reproduce sexually again
Fin.

Just what I have understood thusfar but heh.

[mizzoueng]

Based on my limited viewing and what I remember, here is my $0.02.

Humans began on Caprica, Anders said they had "menomic memory transfer" and that was abandoned. THe humans split, went to the other 11 colonies, and followed natural procreation.

Now, the mind transfer. That is the electronic transfer of one memory or consciousness from one place to another. THis could be from one organic brain to another or from a hard drive (very big) to a brain or vice versa.

This was done for untold amount of years on Caprica. Now it is my theory (stress theory) that the original Capricans infused bio-mechanical traits in their "new" bodies that allowed for extended life spans and easier genetic manipulation. This allowed them to make procreation viable "humans" that so as to not pollute the genetic pool with inbreeding and genetic abnormalities stemed from inbreeding.

once this was accomplished they simply stopped the transfers and followed the orignal path. We know that the 13th tribe did not want this and took the "hub" (but not the hub in the show) and went to Earth. They used it for a little whle but eventually followed the same path as the 12 colonies. The only difference is that they did not remove the bio-mechanical upgrades, thus making them appear "cylon". They created AI and the cylon centurians as we saw. They revolted and nuked everything. All in the span of what was assumed to be 1000 years. Did they create human form cylons? I don't think so, the "hub" was just barely re-initialized before the nuke strikes on Earth as stated by Anders. So I think they humans made the centurians and those had no "brain blocker".

When the 5 left Earth they downloaded into the hub and came to Caprica. Only to find that we made AI and cylons as well. Ours were somehow more primitive than theirs even though they had significantly more time to technologically progress than the Earthians. They stopped the war as the old cylons were trying to make human form bodies. I think they were doing this as they saw that the humans were stale-mating them and starting to win. They knew that the humans had emotions that gave them better reasoning and "free will". If they had this they would probably win. THe Earthians gave them this, but the cylons needed centurian upgrades in the mean time to as the old models were slow and mechanically limited. The Earthians knew that to make them have faster reaction times and more fluid movement, they needed to make centurians like they had, but inhibit them. We've seen the centurians (on Caprica during the Anders rescue) that they don't bleed, but they do have "blood". I think they have a smaller version of the raider brain. The synaptic functions of a brain would give them greater reasoning and body control.

Once the 5 made the 8 new models. THey needed to implant them with minds. I think they had 8 centurians with no "brain blocker" in the way. Those were exposed to the history of the cylons and the humans (both Caprican and Earthian). They slowly gained advanced brain functions (closer to human) and were "evolving" in the simplest function of the word. Along the way each of the 8 were exposed to the mind of one of the 5 Earthians. The first to be exposed (Cavills) was slightly damaged during the process as it was new for both of them. THe others got significantly easier and the 8th (Daniel) got the best of it. Daniel was closest to human as his connection was with Ellen and by that time she had a better understanding of how to connect with th cylon mind and filter the information they needed.

Once this was complete, Cavill knew he was "obsolete" and feared being boxed. He boxed the 5 and genetically modified the Daniels. But during this modification Daniels mind was slightly warped and his cylon memories merged with the human and made a new understanding of the universe. In his mind there was a "one true god" which was the old "supreme leader" from the old models.

But alas i am diverting. What are the skinjobs? They are the recreation of the original Caprican/Earthians during the use of menomic memory transfer. But they have cylon upgrades, like Boomers spine, which had the cylon red glow when she fraked whoever on Caprica.

They have enchanced strength. This is probably a genetic manipulation, the 5 probably changed the muscle fiber configuration to something closer to ants, thus giving them more power than they appear.

As for the whole "sticking the wire up the arm" I agree with was everyone else has said about this.

Thanks for listening, reading, whatever........

[Back40]

With all due respect, I'd have to quit commenting on this post after the "based on my limited viewing" part....

There are known facts that your post contradicts (starting with humanity beginning on Kobol, not Caprica and it's "organic" memory transfer, not "menomic"), I'm assuming that you probably haven't been following the series all that closely?

[bum783]

I have been thinking about this for some time and I have a few ideas that could form a theory.

Lets start at the beginning; Human life begins on an un-named planet. Humans become advanced and begin experimenting with artificial intelligence. They invent what Ellen called "biological memory transfer" this technology would upload a humans living consciousness into a mostly biological but not quite human body. These bodies would become the first cylons. This technology would essentially make it so a person could live forever. Some people were against such technology eventually leading to war between the people that have already transfered their consciousness and the people that did not. This would be the first human cylon war. Before this planet would be wiped out by war a small sect of cylons would leave.

Eventually the cylon survivors would find Kobalt, where a small primative human race was just beginning to prosper. Unable to explain how the cylons were able to live forever, the primative humans on Kobalt would come to worship the cylons as gods. Eventually the humans would discover the truth and again war would break out between humans and cylons for a 2nd time. Following the exodus of Kobalt the 12 colonies went one way while the cylons went another.

The cylons/13th tribe would find Earth about 2,000 years ago when Greece was the major world power. The cylons once again would establish themselves as gods. (this also fits the timeline that explained that the 13th tribe left 4,000 years ago, and Anders said it took 2,000 years for them to reach the 12 colonies at sub light speed) This time however the cylon/gods would discover that physical procreation with the people of Earth was possible. Literature describes Zeus as a womanizer whom slept with hundreds of mortal women and bearing hundreds of children like hercules. These humans were stronger than normal humans. Through natural selection eventually cylons outnumbered actual humans. Many of whom did not even know they were cylon. Only a few retained the actual knowledge of their origins. People on Earth would begin to experiment with artificial intelligence creating the first centurion model of cylon (different form the 12 colonies version), this would again lead to a 3rd human cylon war. The few skinjob cylons that retained knowledge of their origin re-invented biological memory transfer and were able to escape before the planet was wiped out. Knowing that the humans of the 13th tribe would also continue to experiment with artificial intelligence the final 5 went in the hopes of preventing what they knew would be a 4th human cylon war. Only the final 5 were to late. Humans and Cylons were once again fighting. In the hopes of ending the violence the final 5 promised to show the centurion model cylons that the humans from the 12 colonies created the secret to creating more skinjobs. The centirons would agree, and the 8 cylon models were created. Only the Cavill the first model turned on the final 5 and attacked the 12 colonies once again plunging humans and cylons into war for a 5th time.

The mantra of the series has been "All this has happened before and it will happen again" Maybe the only way the cycle of endless human cylon wars can be broken is if humans and cylons learn to exist together as equals. Not with cylons posing as gods, or humans enslaving the cylons.


reasons why this theory works:

I believe that Earth had to have humans on it at some point otherwise why would they have chosen to make Earth the home of the 13th colony. They would have just made up a place where humans in real life never lived. This theory can also explain why the Greek gods existed on both earth and Kobalt. And Anders explained that a ressurection ship was in orbit around earth, and if human consciousness can be uploaded into a cylon body it would explain why starbuck is still alive.


OK now you guys can start poking holes in my theory....Ready Go!

[TheChosen1]

I agree although it may not be all right, it definitely feels right over all though.

TheChosen1

[Back40]

I'm with TheChosen1, I think this theory has some very good points...

[Mirel]

Great theory, BumpOnnaHalfApple! It makes a lot of sense and really reconciles the skinjobs being organic yet considered "machines" by both the colonials and themselves.

Here's my theory:

A cybernetic life-form node (aka a cylon) is an organic computer system. All cylons...including raiders and centurions...and the original human-made centurions. That means all cylons are actually organic...at least an organic brain.

However, cylon nerve cells have several unique synthetic intracellular aspects that drastically distinguishes the nature of cylon sentience from human sentience. Cylon brain matter is composed of neurons that possess many internal components and chemical compounds that do not exist anywhere in nature. The unique properties of these wholly new metabolic pathways (called "silica pathways") cause the neurons to generate electrical signals that are digital in nature. This has the effect of making the consciousness that emerges from a cylon brain based entirely upon electronic digital information transfer rather than electrochemical interactions like a human consciousness and as a result is viewed by the Colonials as essentially nothing more than a highly advanced artificial intelligence program.

The raiders and centurions (including the original centurions) are nodes of cylon brain matter encased in and interfaced with a mechanical body. Humanoid cylons (skinjobs) and basestar hybrids are an entire synthetic cylon nervous system encased in a bioengineered human body.

The computational software nature of cylon consciousness enables their minds to be as easily programmed as a conventional computer system. That's why cylon consciousness can interface with a ship's computer, be programmed with false memories and instinctive knowledge, be stored in a 'box' (boxing) and can even be trasmitted like a computer program - because fundamentally it is a computer program...simply a computer program via biological hardware. Yet, it still mimics the functions of a human mind processing the 'software' of human thought.

So cylons (both original and new) are the product of not only highly advanced mechanical and computer engineering, but also highly advanced synthetic biology.

Electrical signals that are digital in nature? That says nothing to me. I can argue with your theory saying we are also advanced biological computers. How couldn't we be? Our DNA stores info in an advanced biological way.

They are machines. They are made of biological matter to be everything as close to human as possible, but they are not human. They are 100% machine. They even think like humans, but unfort, they are not.

It's hard to explain, but that's the concept.

A big fat NO. This is not the intented concept. The whole damn time the show asks you, aren't Cylons and humans really the same?

You obviously only watch BSG for the cool explosions.

[bum783]

Every Sci Fi show has a twist here is mine.

Fact: Cylons can procreate
Fact: Cylons use BIOLOGICAL memory transfer
Fact: Cylon babies look just like humans, and have human organs. (Capricas Ultra sound)
Fact: Cylons have the same brain functions as humans (Anders Bullet)
Fact: Cylons can live their entire lives not knowing they are cylons

The entire show had premise that cylons were created by humans.
What if Humans were created by cylons.

Going with my above theory, what if a human race in a distant galaxy created the cylon models to transfer their memories into a mostly biological body in order to live forever. The bodies were so biological that they were able to procreate creating a lifeform 100% human with the only distinguishing element between human and cylon is somthing in their bones that the doctor was able to use to determine the bodies on Earth were cylons.

hmmm twist: The humans of the 12 colonies were the offspring of cylons, meaning te cylons created them not the other way around.


Damn Im good I feel like I am ruining the end for everyone.